Little Fe 2011 Buildout Events -- Many institutions and teaching environments do not have access to parallel platforms for parallel and distributed computing education. Teaching key concepts such as speedup, efficiency, and load balancing are much more effectively done on a parallel platform. LittleFe is a complete 6 node Beowulf style portable computational cluster which supports shared memory parallelism (OpenMP), distributed memory parallelism (MPI), and GPGPU parallelism (CUDA). LittleFe weighs less than 50 pounds, easily and safely travels via checked baggage on the airlines, and sets-up in 10 minutes wherever there is a 110V outlet and a wall to project an image on. By leveraging the Bootable Cluster CD project, and its associated curriculum modules, LittleFe makes it possible to have a powerful ready-to-run computational science and HPC educational platform for less than $3,000.
The LittleFe project is now accepting applications for 2011 Buildout sessions. Successful applicants will receive a FREE LittleFe mini-cluster, with an opportunity to assemble and test their LittleFe at buildout events to be held at the University of Oklahoma in July 31, 2011, and at Seattle WA Convention Center, SC11 in November 13, 2011. The application deadline is June 1, 2011.
For more information, visit the Little Fe website.
ICLCS Program -- The Institute for Chemistry Literacy Through Computational Science (ICLCS) is a National Science Foundation-funded 5-year program to increase the chemistry literacy and chemistry-related pedagogical skills of rural Illinois high school teachers. We will immerse these ICLCS Fellows and their students in new models of instruction, especially focusing on computers and their instructional uses, that will improve student achievement and prepare students for 21st Century careers through an intensive, multi-year Summer Institute for teachers built upon existing, successful curricula and methods, enhanced with state-of-the-art science research data and applications. The use of computational tools for 21st Century science will be the context for the delivery of the curriculum that includes particular focuses on medicinal chemistry (biomedicine), materials science, including nanotechnology, agricultural chemistry and the computational aspects of molecular-level chemistry. The Institute is designed to build teachers' competence and confidence in teaching chemistry, to use computational tools and methods in their curriculum, and to create a community of practice among research faculty and high school teachers working together as colleagues to improve student achievement.
Vision, Goals and Outcomes
The program goals are to: